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Quantum Recharged basically can't do much wrong and comes across less cluttered than, say, a Geometry Wars. The fan community that still has enough reflexes to prove their skill, wants to invest a few hours in perfecting their combo moves and doesn't mind the squeaky color explosions will certainly get their money's worth. Everyone else will keep their hands off Quantum Charged, as expected.

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With Atlas Fallen, Deck 13 fearlessly enters a completely new competitive situation, provides a fundamental synergy thanks to coherent game elements, which ultimately creates a recognition value that can justify the entire project. The clear focus on the offensive brings an action-heavy, sometimes motivating battle to light, which never frustrates despite its performance-driven orientation, but instead benefits from its simplicity and the trivial, tactical component. As well thought-out and coherent as the combat system initially appears, the action role-playing game is short-lived in its entirety. Atlas Fallen ultimately fails primarily due to its long-term motivation: both the narrative, thanks to its staging omissions and its emotional superficiality, as well as the redundant, even lifeless game world seem like foreign bodies, squander enormous potential and make sure that you have to find yourself in the genre mediocrity - which can definitely get lost in this year's high-quality release clutter.

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What Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is not is a video game with innovative game design or creative game elements. Instead, the title shines with a gripping story, great images, high-quality music and an interesting implementation of the Greek god mythology. So if you like to influence a beautiful story, create your own little musical, and are cool with experiencing a rather passive gaming experience as a text adventure, you won't go wrong here and will have a good time.

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Pikmin 4 lets go of the reins and just lets me do my thing. The mixture of discovering, puzzling, fighting, collecting and multiplying Pikmin works perfectly and excited me because the variety and level structure always motivated me intrinsically. And oh, is it all cute. The night sections fit in just as well as the Dandori matches. Even better, though, is the integration of Ochin the dog, who feels so incredibly natural as part of Pikmin 4 and actually enriches the gameplay. This also lets me overlook the stale visuals. However, it's less easy for me, especially when it comes to the introduction and the dialogs in general. So much blah. So much blub. It unfortunately interrupts the flow over and over again and instead somehow tries to tell some kind of plot, but unfortunately in the end it's a mixture of dull and stupid. But that's not why I'm playing Pikmin 4, I'm playing it because action-strategy is served up in such a likeable, fun and creative way that I rarely get to experience elsewhere. Anyone with even a hint of affection for the genre should not miss it.

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It may sound paradoxical, almost gloating, but Gunfire Games enters a groundless, even illusory competition with Remnant 2, only to ultimately position itself in a niche where none of the industry giants want to position themselves. In doing so, the game skilfully balances between two genres, provides the necessary accessibility, builds up a long-term USP and thus rightfully ends up at the top of the Steam sales charts. With the focus on individualization and the resulting considerable replay value, the AA studio trivially succeeds in building a unique selling point that ultimately knows how to justify itself via its motivational effect. While the narrative loses a substantial arc of suspense at the expense of accessible triviality and you have to admit to some technical performance problems, Gunfire Games nevertheless manages to build up an extremely coherent, challenging co-op shooter that fights its way out of the stigma "insider tip" not least because of its genre mix. But even without this "puppy protection" in the midst of the current competitive situation, Remnant 2 shouldn't have to prove itself, because as we all know, there are no winners in the Cold War.

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Amidst all the consistent sequels, remakes, and remasters, Viewfinder beckons to me out of the corner of my eye. It seems playful, creative, and visually stunning in a way all its own, so I can't help but love it. I've had hundreds of images merge with the game world now, and even the 101st time still leaves me intrigued by how well the perspective gameplay actually works. It doesn't take the effects fireworks of Final Fantasy XVI or the graphical opulence of a Horizon: Forbidden West to wow me on a visual level. It's also simply enough to blow my physical imagination around the spatial and let me immerse myself in it at the same time. The rather subliminal story wouldn't have even been needed there. What it would have needed, if anything, was a more challenging first third and maybe a moment or two more that would have made me less inhibited in my creativity by a clearly prescribed course of action. Viewfinder is still a wonderful experience for those who can engage in a very unique way of puzzling. And if you're unsure, play the demo!

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Dave the Diver is a small surprise of the gaming year so far. With a coherent and complex overall package and a lot of creative ideas and attention to detail, the indie title does a lot right and will probably earn a top position on the permanent favorites list of many players.

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I would like to get more out of Dead Island 2. But unfortunately, neither the narrative emptiness, the uninspired mission design nor the repetitive gameplay loop can really pull me along. Yes, I had fun, especially in the first few hours, enjoying the gore effects and just bluntly beating my way through hordes of zombies. But the poorly balanced progression also let me go just as quickly. The humor, too, unfortunately didn't pick me up in almost any minute. The overall solid combat system is the lynchpin of the title, though. If you had a lot of fun with the first game, you might also like part 2, because despite the long development time, it is very close to the original. However, if you need variety, a growing battle system, and generally anything beyond that in terms of story and interesting characters, Dead Island 2 is at best something for the Christmas Sale at the end of the year. After 9 years of development rollercoaster, the action game is not a disaster, but it still dares frighteningly little to stand out by anything.

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Curse of the Sea Rats is a good game for those who want to get into the Metroidvania genre or don't have too high demands on the technical implementation. Veterans, on the other hand, might still lack the final touch, especially in direct comparison with the genre classics. Otherwise, Curse of the Sea Rats is quite entertaining with about 12 hours of gameplay and a detailed world.

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Crisis Core was undeniably a profitable handheld success on the PSP in 2008, and ironically still is despite an apparent platform switch. Outdated structures, vehement redundancy, fast-paced gameplay loop define the overall game design and clearly reveal the backward roots of the former mobile spin-off. Minimal innovations and quality-of-life adjustments break up the outmoded foundation again and again, though, and ultimately, thanks to well thought-out control options, tactical boss fights and the entertaining side missions, the result is a symbiotic structure between "PSP nostalgia" and the modern standard - without neglecting the player's basic motivational needs. Fresh textures and the emotional, albeit pathetic story basis do their part to once again cast a spell over especially long-established fans - newcomers, however, will have a much harder time with the partly regressive game concept. What ultimately remains, however, is a short-lived, no less entertaining remaster, which, despite all that, stands in highest discrepancy to the usage behavior of the stationary platform and only very sluggishly puts the adjustments to the latter into the hands of the players.

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New Tales from the Borderlands picks up exactly where the first game left off: An incredibly charming cast of protagonists, the dumb Borderlands humor with gags at every turn, and a completely stupid and therefore no less fun storyline. The game is bursting with charm and, especially from the point of view of every series fan, certainly gets an enormous sympathy bonus.

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In a nutshell, Potion Permit is a good game for all gamers who are simply looking for a simple game to relax a bit while gaming. The game is pretty and can be quite entertaining, but it also has a few weak points. Those who simply want to switch off a bit at the end of the day will have fun with Potion Permit.

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Where for years one superlative followed the next, where exaggeration had to serve as a leitmotif instead of a stylistic device, where blunt self-indulgence justified an entire franchise, developer Volition now courageously trades its unique selling proposition for... well, for what, actually? Apparently against an unjustified shitstorm, an angry crowd of fans and yes, a successful new beginning. Saints Row shows itself to be much more grounded, more tangible and just in this way can make use of a modern interpretation of "exaggeration". According to the motto: back to accessibility, back to the mass market. A return that the franchise unmistakably needed more than badly. Admittedly, Volition has definitely put the game in reverse gear a bit too ambitiously. Where the tone of the game is clearly more modern, entire gameplay elements as well as the visual design seem completely out of time. A trivial skill system, a lifeless game world, flippant gunplay all seem out of place in 2022, but also undeniably bring those glorious oldschool vibes. Saints Row is still full of absurdities that are unparalleled, but is discrepantly wonderfully unexciting in terms of gameplay. If Volition could now bring the technical shortcomings into the modern age, I would completely agree with the US studio when they say: As soon as a franchise can't take any more superlatives, you just have to go back to the beginning.

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LIVE A LIVE is still, 20 years later, an incredibly beautiful narrative adventure, pumped full of attention to detail, nostalgic moments and a good dose of humor. Under the guise of a classic JRPG, however, it doesn't really feel like one at any point. Where the title may lack a bit of ambition and depth, LIVE A LIVE skillfully knows how to counteract with its creativity and ingenuity. The standalone chapters are excitingly staged throughout, continuously motivating thanks to the varied game design, and benefit from their entertaining episodic form on the Nintendo Switch. The short stories, which are around 3 hours long, are made to be enjoyed on the go or on the couch after work. Especially gamers who don't have much time and don't feel like getting into the next, complex 100-hour role-playing game are served easily consumable and well-tolerated content here.

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Hell Pie shows that it doesn't necessarily need a huge open world or an endlessly complex story to create a good game. The combination of the sometimes super-silly humor and the detailed worlds have ensured that I have become a real fan of Nate and Nugget. Even though I still encountered one or two bugs: the game doesn't have to hide from the "big" platformer heroes at all and provides several hours of fun. I'm curious to see if Nate and Nugget can establish themselves in the world of Spyro and Crash Bandicoot and if we'll see more of the likeable duo.

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Pokémon Legends: Arceus has finally ushered in the next stage of the franchise's development - even if we still firmly hope that many more will follow. The Pokémon spin-off feels more organic, motivating and coherent than ever thanks to the semi-open game world and the many modernized gameplay mechanics. The free-roaming areas in particular have a lot to offer, if you're into the iconic pocket monsters. Otherwise, you'll quickly be confronted with the harsh reality that Pokemon Legends is just a cheap copycat of the great 'Breath of the Wild', which doesn't reveal much more than empty and statistical worlds. However, those who have a soft spot for Pokémon will probably find their Eldorado with Arceus: Everything around you - be it the free-roaming Pokémon, the new Pokédex assignments, or the motivating progression system - pays off on the 'Gotta Catch Em All' principle and pushes your own collecting mania to the extreme. In contrast, however, the game looks absolutely out of time and shouldn't even bring a tired smile to the last console generation. Despite all the complaining about the graphics, Pokémon Legends knows how to motivate us, spur us on, and captivate us with its gameplay. What's a bit of 'mud' graphics, right? If Game Freak doesn't let so much time pass until the next update, exciting years could be ahead for Pokémon fans.

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Okay, admittedly - Dying Light 2 might look like the next generic open-world game with a zombie theme that is doomed to end up on the pile of shame of many gamers. And this is completely unjustified, because Techland's sequel manages to stand out from the crowd of its genre colleagues, especially with its atmospheric game world and the at least equally fun gameplay mix. While disturbing zombie hordes groan for blood on one side, we find playing children and blooming flower gardens on the other. Techland stylistically succeeds in creating an immersive and coherent image of a post-apocalypse that can be so gloomy and dirty at the same time, but also hopeful. The run-down open-world metropolis has many small as well as larger stories to tell, which we were only too happy to listen to off the beaten path. Of course, Techland's vision of an open game world also suffers from some well-known problems: Bugs, game crashes and the obligatory icon clutter are issues that genre fans are probably familiar with by now. Nevertheless, the bottom line is a fun and immersive zombie adventure that was able to raise our adrenaline level to unimagined heights more than once.

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Battlefield 2042 is currently at best a small, unhealthy snack for on the go, which you absolutely had to buy, but always in the knowledge that it never really takes place nor tastes particularly good. The three big game modes offer a colorful potpourri with something for every type of player, but none of the concepts is really mature. Long-term motivation is lacking shortly after release: The lack of a checkout system seems immature in places, numerous bugs slow down the flow of the game, and missing scoreboards and ranked matches take even more tension out of the gameplay loop. Battlefield 2042 is so trimmed for entertaining fun that it completely loses sight of its possibilities. The focus is clearly on more chaos and less game depth, more trends and less team play, new superlatives but unfortunately less Battlefield. Battlefield 2042 is quick fun for a round in between, but will have a hard time holding its own on the highly competitive shooter market.

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All in all, Mario Party Superstars is not a perfect game, but it is a very good one and certainly remains king on the throne of party games. Certainly there are things that can and should be improved here and there, but overall the title cuts a good, rock-solid figure and has sparked great hope in a possible next installment of the series, at least in me. Finally NDcube has rediscovered the way to the successful concept of Mario Party. The whole thing next with entirely new mini-games, boards and a larger selection of characters and minor adjustments to the luck factor, lets me look into a rosy future!

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While Shin Megami Tensei has only been able to glimpse the shining spotlight in the shadow of its sibling series Persona, developer Atlus is now making a rather timid attempt to step out of it with the fifth installment of the main series. By turning away from the traditional dungeon crawler concept to a much more open level structure, they skillfully create a synergy effect that clearly enhances the actually insubstantial gameplay loop motivationally and indisputably decorates it with a comprehensible justification. The depth of the role-playing system as well as the animating collecting mania through the whimsical demons cleverly counteract the merciless difficulty level without demoralizing the player too much. Meanwhile, the plot is largely utilitarian, even insubstantial, motivating the player to really want to participate in the storyline only in the smaller, more emotional moments. On top of that, the Nintendo Switch exclusivity clearly limits the role-playing game technically, which shouldn't be particularly beneficial for the family's race to catch up and only raises the question about the relevance of the current revision of the hybrid console once again. Even if Shin Megami Tensei still can't move in the highly praised spheres of a Persona, Atlus still manages to deliver a more than solid overall construct thanks to the given innovations, which should shorten the wait for the next full-fledged spin-off, not least for the Persona fan community. It's a good thing that the apple usually never falls far from the tree.

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